


Acorn and Oak Tree

by thuvia ptarth (thuviaptarth)



Category: Her Majesty's Dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-29
Updated: 2006-10-29
Packaged: 2017-10-03 13:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thuviaptarth/pseuds/thuvia%20ptarth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A conversation among three personages.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acorn and Oak Tree

**Author's Note:**

> For Rachel on her birthday. Beta by Oyce.

This deep in the forest, the women's voices sounded like birdsong: pretty, musical, meaningless.

"Amane-sama! Amane-sama, where are you? Please come home, Amane-sama--"

Amane pulled herself up to a higher branch, then steadied her back against the oak's trunk and hugged her knees. She couldn't see the ground below or the sky above, just light and shadow and the leaves beginning to turn; and facing north, away from the village, there was nothing but snowy mountain peaks against a piercingly blue sky.

Hyoue dropped down from a branch above. He was in dog form, extra-small, his claws and trailing dewclaws of flame balanced delicately on the bough. He rested his whiskered chin on her knees and stared up at her so close he went cross-eyed, then sighed when she didn't laugh.

"Granny's going to be mad at you if you don't go back soon."

"Don't care," she said mulishly.

"Manatsukai aren't supposed to lie."

"I don't care. I'm not going back. I'm going to live with Uncle Oak. The forest will take care of me."

Leaves fluttered without wind, spilling sunlight on Amane's cheek, brushing softly against her hair.

"Oh, yes," said Hyoue crossly, "I've no doubt Uncle Oak would like that. And Auntie She-Wolf and Cousin Bear, too."

Leaves twisted to spill rain-catch on Hyoue's back and he yelped. "That's cold!"

The rustling leaves made an animal noise, and an extremely crude one at that.

"No one in the forest will harm me," Amane said.

"No one in the village will harm you, either," Hyoue said.

"No one in the forest is afraid of me," Amane said, and at the hurt in her voice Hyoue fell silent. The girl turned her head so she couldn't see him; she was flushed, as if trying not to cry. Hyoue whined softly, his tail drooping, and crept close enough to nudge her leg with his cold nose. Amane made an unhappy sound, but reached to scratch Hyoue behind his ears. A red squirrel peered down at them and scolded; Hyoue blew flame at it, sending it skittering back, and Uncle Oak dropped half-formed acorns on its head.

"I didn't mean to," Amane said finally, in a voice that sounded much younger than twelve. "It wasn't on purpose."

"Of course not," Hyoue said loyally. "What happened?"

Amane's voice got even smaller. "Grandmother's servant Hitsumi accused Cook's boy of stealing meat buns, and I knew he hadn't, so I told them both to tell the truth, only I forgot to say when to stop, and now Hitsumi's husband moved out and her lover isn't speaking to her anymore, either."

"Oh," said Hyoue, after a moment.

"Why is Grandmother so angry? I thought Manatsukai weren't supposed to lie."

Hyoue closed his eyes. "I don't understand human things," he lied. "Maybe it will make more sense when you're older."

"Maybe," Amane said doubtfully. Leaves rustled and branches above creaked. "Uncle Oak says I'm too close to the village. He says acorns are meant to fall far away."

"You're not an acorn," Hyoue pointed out.

"But I'd like to go far away. Where no one knows about kotodama and I can have friends."

"Maybe when you're older," Hyoue said again, helplessly. It was what Kosai-sama had always said to him, and what Grandmother always said to Amane.

"Maybe," said Amane, sounding no more convinced than Hyoue ever had.

Hyoue slid back on the branch and took on his other form: a boy, a few years older than Amane and much taller. He held out a hand. His tone was gruff, but his inhuman eyes were kind. "Come down now. Night's falling and you don't have a coat. It won't make anything any better if you catch cold."

Obediently, Amane turned and began to work her way down the tree trunk. Hyoue swung his leg over the branch and let himself fall down to the ground. Amane called down, "Uncle Oak says you do that almost as neatly as an acorn."

Hyoue grinned and patted the tree trunk. "You're not so bad," he said magnanimously. A twig snapped, spraying dirt in his eyes. "Hey!"

Amane slid the last foot to the ground, then brushed bits of bark and earth off her front. She tilted her head up at Hyoue.

"Hyoue. Why aren't you scared of me?"

He bent down to press a kiss to her forehead, a kiss and not a meal, and smiled into her serious face. "Because there's no command you can give me that I won't want to obey."


End file.
